Counting apparatus.



No. 627,975. Patented July 4, I899. R. BURK.

COUNTING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Nov. 19, 1898.)

(No Model.)

7g M g v "I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD BURK, OF SCl-IlVENNINGEN, GERMANY.

COUNTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 627,975, dated July 4, 1899.

Application filed November 19, 1898. Serial No. 696,906. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD Biiak, a citizen of the German Empire,residing at Schwenningen,in the Kingdom of \Viirtemberg, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Counting Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved counting device by which upon a suitable number being reached to which the counting apparatus has first been adjusted an electric contact is closed, and thereby an alarm device or mechanism is automatically set in operation.

The object of this improvement is to inform the workman when the respective number has been reached on the counting apparatus withouthis having constantly to watch the same.

The counting apparatus is preferably so arranged that it counts backward, so that when all the counting-rollers have reached zerot'. e., assumed a certain prescribed positionthe contact is established-that is to say, the contact is always established in the same position of the counting-rollers.

It is advantageous that the contact and the action of the alarm device should start even before the zero position commencesfor instance, on the last movement of the tens counting disk into the zero positionbecause thereby the alarm continues for a longer period than would be the case in the short moment of the zero position, and the workman attending to the machine thus has his attention called thereto early enough to avoid any exceeding of the zero position and to prevent any further counting by suitably disconnecting the machine.

A counting apparatus with counting-rollers and-provided in accordance with this invention with a contact-closing device for giving an electric alarm or operating a mechanism for throwing out of gear is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2, a side View; Fig. 3, a cross-section on the line w 00 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4, a detail view showing, on an enlarged scale, the actual contact device.

On each of the laterally-toothed disk-rings oa a a of the counting-rollers A" A A A one of a series of levers B B B B shaped like a pawl, bears with a sliding action, said levers being rigidly connected with one another by means of a single sleeve 1), revoluble on a spindle b, the ends b of said levers lying in a straight line. A contact-lever b is further firmly mounted on the sleeve 1), and the free end of said contact-lever plays in the recess 0 of the contact-block O, in which block a contact-screw c is mounted and which is insulated from the casing D of the apparatus by means of an insulatingbush c Notches a", Fig. 4, are provided in each of the diskrings a ct a ta in which notches the ends 19 of each of the levers B B can drop as soon as all therespective number-rollers have reached their zero positions. By the turning of the sleeve 1), thus caused, the contact-lever o in consequence of a spring b acting on it, comes out of the dotted normal position shown in Fig. 4 into the position shown in full linesthat is to say, it bears against the contactscrew 0 and the closing of the circuit is produced, whereby the electric alarm is set in operation. The current takes the course shown in Figs. 1 and 2 from the wire to the insulated contact-block O, the screw 0, the lever 12 to the spring 19 and through the frame or casing D to the wire y.

The handling of the apparatus is extremely simple and convenient. If, for instance, the counting apparatus is to be employed in printing-machines for counting sheets and, say, three thousand five hundred sheets are to be printed, the counting apparatus is adjusted to the number 3500 and is allowed to count' the same backward. This adjustment may be effected extremely easily in the counting apparatus shownin the drawings, as the number-rollers, together with their ratchet-wheels E, may be axially adjusted on their spindles F and G, respectively, until they are brought out of engagement with the cog-Wheels operating them, and they may then be suitably ade justed. As soon, then, as all the sheets have been printed down to ten-that is to say, as soon as the tens-roller has reached itszero position-the lever B belonging thereto can drop into its corresponding notch 01, on the diskring a, as the other rollers A A A are already standing at their z'ero position that is to say, the ends of their lever-arms B B B respectively, lie in front of the notches a of their respective number-rollers A A A The sleeve'l) then turns and the lever 19 is pressed by the spring b against the screw 0', as shown in Fig. 4:. The circuit is'thus closed and the electric alarm device or mechanism for throwing out of gear comes into operation.

In conclusion it may be remarked that the apparatus may also be adjusted to number forward, in which case the counting apparatus must be previously adjusted to the number resulting from the difference of the highest number of the apparatus after deduction of the number of articles to be counted.

Thedevice herein shown-and described, in-

suitable mechanismfor-throwing the same out of geartoeffecta stoppage of the machineeach time the electrical contact is established.

I declare that what I claim is 1. In a counting apparatus, the combination with the-coiintingrollei's', and means for stopping the same at intervals comprising in part the sleeve and the electrical contact-lever operated thereby, another electrical contact engaged by said lever each time a disk is stopped, and suitable wire connections adapted to establish electrical connection between the apparatus and an alarm.

2. In a counting apparatus, the combination with the counting-rollers, and the disks thereon notched at particular points, of the sleeve carrying the levers for engaging said notches, the electrical contact-lever operated by said sleeve, an insulated contacbblock engaged by the contact-lever, and suitable wire connections adapted to establish electrical connection between the apparatus and an indicator device each time a disk is engaged in the manner shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aifiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD BUR-K.

Witnesses:

A. DRAUTZ, N. WAGNER. 

